The present invention relates to wound healing. More specifically it relates to a method for accelerating wound healing in humans and animals by administration of a combination of natural substances which cooperatively function to promote the body's physiological mechanism for repair of damaged body tissue.
A wound is tissue loss or damage anywhere in the body caused by physical or chemical means. Principle physical factors responsible for wounds are trauma and surgery. Wounds can also be caused by sources of chronic irritation and inflammation of body tissue.
Periodontal disease is an inflammatory disorder of the gums variously referred to as gum disease, periodontitis, and gingivitis. With the use of fluoride in drinking water and the daily use of toothpaste to help reduce tooth loss due to decay, gum disease has become the largest cause of tooth loss in the adult population of the United States, accounting for approximately 70% of such losses. The disorder results from the accumulation of plaque, particularly within the gum line, which, unless effectively removed, produces a chronic inflammatory process of the gingiva that spreads and destroys the connective tissues supporting the tooth as well as the tooth itself. Effective removal of plaque is difficult even with a vigorous and sustained program of brushing and flossing, and it has become clear that for effective control of periodontal disease, a more specific treating agent is needed.
Another inflammatory disease which effects degeneration of connective tissues is osteoarthritis. Although the cause of osteoarthritis is obviously different from periodontal disease, the pathogenesis is much the same: localized chronic inflammation with concomitant connective tissue degeneration. In periodontal disease, the body's response to the bacterial plaque results in an enzymatic attempt by the inflammatory cells to destroy the bacteria, and because this attack is non-specific it also destroys adjacent normal tissues of the host, thereby forming periodontal pockets which provide a niche for bacteria which are again attacked by inflammatory cells of the body to further erode the connective tissues surrounding the teeth. In osteoarthritis, the body's inflammatory response is localized in the joints. The body's inflammatory response is triggered by the presence of intracellular proteins released from the body's cells which have been injured or destroyed by wear and tear (or by injury in athletes) in skeletal joints. The body's inflammatory response leads to further erosion and tissue destruction, first wearing away connective tissues (cartilage) in the joint and then progressively the articular surfaces of the bones. Thus while periodontal disease and osteoarthritis are of radically different etiology, the pathogenesis of each parallels the other.
Wounds caused by trauma or surgery are also accompanied by an initial inflammatory response; it is a natural response of the body and the first step of the wound healing process. The initial inflammatory response is followed by the formation of fibrous tissue (scar tissue) specifically by proliferation of fibroblasts which produce collagen, mucopolysaccharides and gylcosaminoglycans at the wound site. Even thorgh surgical wounds are created asceptically, a certain amount of inflammation is required in the early healing stages in order to clear away the debris caused by the incision. It is important, though, to limit the inflammatory response so that the lack of specificity in release of proteolytic enzymes associated with the inflammatory response does not cause further damage to the host tissues. But again, a limited inflammatory response is essential to remove the debris which can provide a site for infection and/or chronic inflammation. Use of steroids, for example, so effectively inhibits inflammation that initial debris clearing process cannot be accomplished. For this reason steroids are not given post-operatively (except, of course, following transplants). On the other hand, less potent anti-inflammatory compounds such as amino sugars, including glucosamine, its chemical/biological analogues and certain anti-inflammatory amino acids such as cysteine and methionine are capable of physiologically limiting the inflammatory response, but not stopping it completely, so that optimal tissue repair process is possible. The second stage of wound healing involves a repair process which entails the influx and proliferation of fibrous tissue (fibroblasts) and the production of collagen and ground substance by the fibroblasts, resulting in the formation of dense fibrous connective tissue (scar).
It is therefore an object of this invention to provide a method for promoting wound healing in humans and animals.
Another more specific object is to provide a method for topical treatment of wounds to accelerate the wound healing process.
Other objects of the invention and its advantages over the prior art are apparent from the following description and claims.